Swede etymology

Etymology

The word "swede" comes from the Old English word "Swede," which is derived from the Old Norse word "Sveiði" or "Svear." This term referred to a member of the Svear people, a Germanic-speaking group that lived in what is now Sweden.

Meaning

The word "swede" has two primary meanings:

1. A person who is a native or resident of Sweden.
2. A type of large, round, yellow-fleshed root vegetable that is closely related to the turnip.

Origin

The Svear people were a powerful maritime group who dominated the region of Scandinavia from the 6th to the 11th centuries. They were known for their seafaring abilities and their raids on neighboring coastal areas.

The name "Svear" is thought to derive from the Proto-Indo-European root swe-, meaning "one's own people." This suggests that the Svear considered themselves to be the original inhabitants of their homeland.

The term "swede" was first used in English in the late 10th century to refer to people from Sweden. The word was also used in the 16th century to describe turnips, as they were frequently imported from Sweden to England.

Usage

Today, the word "swede" is most commonly used to refer to the root vegetable, rather than the people. The vegetable is widely consumed in many parts of the world, particularly in the winter months.

The term "swede" is also used in some contexts to refer to people of Swedish ancestry or descent. However, it is generally considered more appropriate to use the term "Swedish" to describe someone of Swedish origin.

Swede relate terms

• suede

  Etymology Suede derives from the French word suède which originally meant Swedish

• Swede

  Etymology The word swede comes from the Old English word Swede which is derived from

• Sweden

  Etymology The name Sweden comes from the Old Norse word Svíþjóð which means the

• Swede

  Etymology The word swede comes from the Old English word Swede which is derived from

• Swedish

  Etymology The word Swedish is derived from Old Norse Svíþjóð which is composed o

• Swede

  Etymology The word swede comes from the Old English word Swede which is derived from

• cobalt

  Etymology The word cobalt comes from the German word Kobold which means goblin or

• Bronx

  Etymology The name Bronx is derived from the Lenape word Bronck s a corruption of B

• weeds

  Etymology The word weed comes from the Old English word weod which referred to any

• cabbage

  Etymology Middle English cabach cabage Old North French caboche cabuige Late Latin

• plant

  Etymology The word plant comes from the Latin word planta which means sole of the f

• yellow

  Etymology The word yellow traces its origins back to the Middle English yelwe which

• tradition

  Etymology Latin traditio traditionis a handing over delivery transmission surren

• giddy up

  Etymology The phrase giddy up originated in the mid 16th century It is a corruption of

• fall

  Etymology Middle English fallen Old English feallan Proto Germanic fallaną Meani

• obituary

  Etymology The word obituary comes from the Latin word obitus which means death M